Entertainment
Superhero television adaptations might be a dime a dozen these days, but Amazon is confident in The Boys, the company's latest venture into the over-saturated genre. At San Diego Comic-Con, Amazon renewed The Boys ahead of its Season 1 premiere on Jul. 26, and it's easy to see why. Not only is The Boys cast filled with easily recognizable stars, but the series turns every superhero trope on its head.
Based on the popular comics by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, The Boys follows a world where superheroes are corrupt celebrities who abuse their powers rather than using them for the greater good. In an attempt to expose them, a group of human CIA operatives — dubbed "The Boys" — band together, and of course, chaos ensues.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, executive producer Eric Kripke explained the superhero-regular guy dynamic that will be heavily featured in the new series.
"I want it to be graphic when it needs to be, because that’s what’s best for the story, but I want to tell this character story about these regular, blue-collar humans taking on these entitled, super-powered, one-percenter gods and the relationships amongst them," Kripke said.
Nonetheless, the Supernatural creator promised fans an experience they won't forget.
"It really sets out such a unique world and it’s recognizable, but you’ve never seen it before," he said. "It takes place in the most realistic street-level version of world as possible. It just happens to have superheroes in it."
Now, if the plot doesn't have you sold on the Amazon series, then perhaps the cast will. The show is comprised of familiar faces, including one Gossip Girl alum. So hold on tight. Here is the cast for The Boys:
Karl Urban
Fans will meet Karl Urban as Billy Butcher, but chances are, you've seen him before. Most notably, Urban played Eomer in the Lord of the Rings franchise. He also starred as Bones in the new Star Trek films and Detective John Kennex in Almost Human.
Laz Alonso
Laz Alonso is no stranger to the entertainment business. He has starred in projects as early as 2000, and his part as Mother's Milk in The Boys is certainly not his first major role. Alonso has appeared in Avatar as Tsu'tey and Fast & Furious as Fenix. He has also been involved in television shows like The Mysteries of Laura, Breakout Kings, Deception, and L.A.'s Finest.
Jack Quaid
Jack Quaid might be a young actor, but he has had his fair share of roles. He made his acting debut as Marvel in The Hunger Games franchise and has since starred in a few projects such as Rampage, Logan Lucky, and the television series Vinyl. Now, aside from Quaid's role as Hughie Campbell, the actor is set to be in the new animated series, Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Karen Fukuhara
Karen Fukuhara might star as The Female in The Boys, but she made her superhero debut as Katana in 2016's Suicide Squad. Since then, she has lent her voice to shows like Craig of the Creek and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Fukuhara will also voice Kipo in the upcoming 2020 show Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts.
Antony Starr
Antony Starr's acting resume goes back as far as the early '90s. So while fans will meet him as Homelander, Starr has previously starred in Mercy Peak as Todd Van der Velter, Outrageous Fortune as Jethro West, and Banshee as Lucas Hood.
Erin Moriarty
Per Erin Moriarty's IMDb, the young actress has only been in a handful of projects prior to her role as Starlight. She has appeared as Whitney Bennett in One Life to Live, Natalie Walraven in Red Widow, and Hope Shlottman in Jessica Jones. However, fans will likely recognize her from projects like Blood Father and Captain Fantastic.
Nathan Mitchell
Black Noir will be Nathan Mitchell's first major role. However, he has guest starred in a number of projects that may feel familiar to fans of the superhero genre. According to his IMDB profile, Mitchell has previously appeared in Arrow, Supernatural, and iZombie. He has also been in Psych: The Movie, Doomsday, and Scorched Earth.
Dominique McElligott
Dominique McElligott will star as Queen Maeve in The Boys, but House of Cards fans may recognize her as Hannah Conway. Per her IMDb profile, the Irish actress has also appeared in a number of television shows, including On Home Ground, Raw, Hell on Wheels, The Astronaut Wives Club, and The Last Tycoon.
Jessie T. Usher
It looks like A-Train is the perfect fit for Jessie T. Usher. Prior to the Amazon series, the actor starred in shows like Level Up as Lyle Hugginson and Survivor's Remorse as Cam Calloway. He also appeared as Dylan Hiller in Independence Day: Resurgence and JJ Shaft in Shaft, alongside Samuel L. Jackson.
Chace Crawford
He may not be reprising his role in the new Gossip Girl reboot, but fans will be reintroduced to Chace Crawford as The Deep in The Boys. Since his time on the CW hit, Crawford has made appearances in shows like Glee, Blood & Oil, and Casual. More recently, he has also been in All About Nina, Charlie Says, and Nighthawks.
Tomer Capon
Tomer Capon will bring life to The Boys' Frenchie, but the actor has already starred in a number of popular Israeli shows such as Hostages and Fauda. You might also recognize Capon from his roles as Aviv Danino in When Heroes Fly, Idan Perri in Fullmoon, and Daniel in Combat Medics.
Elisabeth Shue
The stars aligned for Elisabeth Shue to star as Madelyn Stillwell on The Boys. However, you've probably seen her at some point in your life. She has starred in a range of classic movies, from original Karate Kid in 1984 to the Back to the Future franchise. She has also appeared in Hollow Man as Linda McKay and Adventures in Babysitting as Chris. But chances are, you know her from her iconic role as Julie Finlay in CSI.
Clearly, fans of the source material have nothing to worry about when it comes to the new adaptation of The Boys. The star-studded cast means the new series is in good hands. So get ready to watch the story unfold when The Boys premieres Jul. 26 on Amazon.
